Aircraft mudguard



Oct. 23, 1951 c, HUETT 2,572,342

AIRCRAFT MUDGUARD Filed Sept. 3, 1946 JAMES -c. HUETT ,3 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 23, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,572,342AIRCRAFT MUDGUARD James C. Huett, Dallas, Tex. I Application September3, 1946, Serial No. 694,639

This invention relates to aircraft and more especially to mud guards forthe landing wheels thereof.

The landing wheels of airplanes areconventionally provided with wheelpants whose function primarily is to prevent the throwing of dirt andmud in the general direction of the propeller of the aircraft but forthe mostpart, these wheel pants, especially in lighter aircraft, tendtoward the accumulation of mud between the said wheel pants and thetread of the landing wheel, which, in many cases restricts the wheelsand at comparatively high landing speed, this results in nose overs,thereby endangering the lives of the passengers. Inasmuch as theseconventional wheel pants enclose the greater part of the upper surfaceof the wheel, the tendency to collect mud or clay is greater and by thesame reasoning the friction imposed on the wheel is greater and theresultant landing hazard, especially in cases of the lighter aircraft,are increased.

The principal object of the present invention therefore is to provide amud guard anda mounting therefor for supporting the mud guard well abovethe landing wheel yet in such relationship thereto that it will beequally as effective to shield the propeller as the conventional type ofwheel pants which embraces the upper portion of the wheel. In elevatingthe mud guard above the top of the wheel, there is little likelihoodthat mud or clay will accumulate thereunder, at least to the extent thatrotation of the wheel will be materially restricted. Moreover, since theinvention is primarily designed as a mud guard and mounting for thewheels of aircraft unequipped with retractible landing gear, therelative spacing of the mud guard and wheel aifords unrestricted passageof air and therefore presents no resistance to air in flight.

Another object of the invention is to provide a special mounting for themud guard of airplane wheels in which provision is made through themedium of suitable bracing, to prevent displacement of the mud guardwhich might otherwise be caused by vibration, wind pressure, landingshocks and the like. Furthermore, structural simplicity, ease ofmounting and removal and the symmetrical appearance of the guard andmounting are considered novel features of the present invention.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention has furtherreference to certain features of accomplishment which will becomeapparent as the description proceeds, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawing wherein:

1 Claim. (Cl. 244-) Figure 1 is a front elevational view of an airing aslightly modified form of mounting for the mud guard, and

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the modified form of theinvention as viewed from the inside of the wheel.

Continuing with a more detailed description of the drawing, reference isprimarily made to Figures 1 and 2 in which numeral l0 denotes thelanding strut of an airplane, partially broken away and whose ,axle llcarries the landing wheel l2. The landing strut I0 is of conventionalcross-sectional shape, that is, of streamlined form, hence thecorrespondingly shaped collar l3, which embraces this strut and whichconstitutes the part of the mud guard mounting to be described'and whichis a part of the present invention.

A mud guard I4 is provided and is of substantially egg-shape as well asbeing concavo-convex in longitudinal and transverse cross-section. Tosupport the mud guard l4, there are provided a pair of curved arms I5,which are attached by welding or otherwise, to one end or the top of thecollar l3 and extend outwardly over the landing wheel [2. These arms areconvergent adjacent their fixed ends and the curvature thereofcorresponds to that of the mud guard M which overlies the arms and isconnected thereto by means of clips 16 and rivets ll. Angular braces I8have their lower ends welded or otherwise secured to the lower end ofthe collar l3 and extend upwardly and are secured to the arms l5 at apoint spaced outwardly from their fixed ends. A third brace I9 isobliquely situated between the braces I8, as shown in Figure 2, one endbeing joined to the lower end of a brace l8 whlie the upper end thereofis joined to the companion brace 18 adjacent its top. By so disposingthe brace l9, the torque which may be imposed on the angular brace [8 bywind pressure exerted on the mud guard I4 is absorbed and metal fatigue,due to vibration of the mud guard is minimized. The collar I3 islongitudinally split at the trailing edge and is provided with threadedears 20 to receive bolts 2| which are adapted to secure the collar I3 inposition on the landing strut Ill.

Referring now to Figures 3 and 4, the same characters of reference willbe employed to denote parts in the modified form of the inventioncorresponding to those in the form just described. It will be observedthat the only difierences between the structure first described and thatshown in Figures 3 and 4 resides in the fact that the collar iii of themud guard mounting is disposed on the attic portion of the landing strutl and is composed of semi-cylindrical sections and further, that thearcuate arms l which support the mud guard H! are elongated in order tocompensate for the different relative spacingbetween the mud guard l4and thernountingcollar l3. However, the same principle is carried out inthat the arms l5 are joinedto one end of the collar l3 while the angularbraces ill are joined to the opposite end of the collar and ex tendupwardly and are connected to the arms in a manner not unlike thatearlier described. The intermediate brace [9 in the modified form,instead of being in oblique relation to the angular braces 18, is inparallel relation to the longitudinal axis of the mud guard it. However,it serves the same function as the oblique brace 19 shown in Figures 1and 2 in that it minimizes the effect of torque imposed on thesupporting am It: caused by wind pressure on the mud guard [4. Thestructural variation shown in Figures 3 and 4 is necessary in order toaccommodate the invention to the landing gear of aircraft of differentdesign. However, the main objects obtain in that the mud guard I4 is sopositioned in relation to the landing wheel l2 that when landing anairplane on soft earth or clay, there will be sufiicient clearancebetween the mud guard l4 and the landing wheel to allow mud or clay topass freely and will not accumulate under the mud guard to offerresistance to the landing wheel, resulting possibly in overturning theplane, injuring the passengers and causing damage to the plane itself.It will be observed that as a further precaution against collecting mudor clay under the mud guard 14, the bracing elements are set wellinwardly from the tread of the landing wheel, which fact furtherprecludes any restriction to free passage of air between the mud guardl4 and the landing wheel which would otherwise retard the speed of aplane.

Manifestly, the construction as shown and described is eapable of somemodification and such modification as may be construed to fall Withinthe scope and meaning of the appended claim is also considered to bewithin the spirit and intent of the invention.

What is claimed is: In combination with the landing strut and wheel ofan aircraft, a split collar embracing said landing strut, apair ofarcuated, divergent arms aifixedto one end of said collar and extendingover the wheel of the aircraft, angular braces secured to the oppositeend of said collar and whose upper ends are joined to said arcuatedarms, a mud guard consisting of a concavo-convex, shallow body ofgreaterlength than width and means for securing said body to said arc'uatedarms whereby thelower edge of said mud guard will be disposed entirelyabove said wheel. 7

JAMES C. HUETT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 534,868 Elder Feb. 26, 1895691,445 Cochrane Jan. 21, 1902 1,341,202 Strand May 25, 1920 1,395,449Mowry l Nov. 1, 1921 r 1,446,531 Williams Feb. 2'7, 1923 1,531,588Williams Mar. 31, 1925 1,810,054 Millr June 16, 1931 1,834,427schufnacher Dec. 1 1931 2,487,405 Andrews Nov. 8, 1949

